States of the Union during Bush presidency

SPEECH HISTORY: George W. Bush's State of the Union addresses are a history of the ups and downs of his presidency, of the times he got his way and the times his hopeful oratory was just that.

SOME IDEAS ADVANCED: Last year, Bush implored Congress to embrace his plan to send thousands more U.S. troops to Iraq. Democrats failed to stop him or to set deadlines for troop withdrawals. The buildup is credited with lowering violence in Iraq, at least for now.

OTHERS FLOPPED: In 2005, he advocated an overhaul of Social Security, saying the program was "headed toward bankruptcy." It went nowhere in Congress.